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10 Interesting facts about dogs

A large breed dog’s resting heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute, and a small dog breed’s heart beats between 100-140. Comparatively, a resting human heart beats 60-100 times per minute. Stroking your pet will lower your stress levels and calm you down, thus brining your heart beat down to normal if you were upset or angry.

2. A wagging tail does not always mean they are happy to see you.

Tail wagging has a language of its own. Tail wagging a little to the right means they are very happy whilst a little more to the left show signs of fear. Low wagging shows insecurity. The one to watch out for here is a rapid wag combined with other warning signals such as bared teeth and raised hair. This means get away, the dog is aggressive, even when the tail is wagging! You don’t need to be a dog whisperer to figure this one out!

3. Dogs can fall in love

Their brains release love hormones same as humans. But they see putting a paw onto each other as a sign of dominance, not the way we put an arm around each other for a hug. They rather lick and rub off each other to show affection.

4. Geographic US doggy facts

The US has the highest amount of dogs followed by France. City dogs live longer than farm dogs and an estimated 1 million dogs in the US have been named in their owner’s will as beneficiaries. The Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed and obesity is the number one health problem.

5. Service dogs

Service dogs are trained to know when they have to be on duty. They are trained that when their harness is on, they know it’s working time. When you take it off, they know work is over and will immediately become playful and energetic. They are also trained to go to the toilet on command. Each owner will have a special word to use for their dog and when they use it, their dog will immediately go toilet.

6. Wet noses means more than health

Its true that when a dog’s nose is soft and moist it means that they are in good health. But the reason why it needs to be wet is not to keep it from cracking no. It is to help determine from which direction a smell is coming.

7. Spike dog collars are not just accessories

We all know that spike dog collars are for man dogs like Staffordshire terriers and bulldogs right? The spiked collars actually originate from the ancient Greek who used the spikes to protect their dog’s necks from bear attacks. Clever or what?!

8. Leaving a signature

Dogs excrete perfume through their anal glands when they poo that lets other dogs know who the territory belongs to. After excreting they will also kick the grass or ground with their back paws looking like a car that takes off with a spin. Dogs have scent glands on their paws which they use to further mark their territory. Done and dusted?

9. Dog vs human

Dogs have 13 blood types while humans only have 4. Dogs and humans have prostrates. A dog’s sense of smell is 10 000 times stronger than a human’s. Humans and dogs are the only two species known to look for visual cues from each other by looking into each other’s eyes.

10. Famous through history

The Nazis tried to teach dogs to speak and read. Dogs were used in WW2 as messengers, carrying commands and notices to the frontline in a capsule tied to their bodies. Lincoln’s dog was assassinated. 3 dogs survived the sinking of the titanic

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Petri

I have been actively involved in animal care and welfare for the past 20 years. My niche is dogs and everything about them from grooming to parasites to doggy couture, having gained experience as a petshop owner, a veterinary assistant, a holistic groomer a pet sitter and last but not least a pet owner. I am an avid teacher and have trained many students for animal care careers and subsequently published several books for students who cannot make it to the classroom. Check out my books in Amazon or available from www.learncenter.eu
DOG IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

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